The Light Behind Your Eyes
by phantumpkaboo
Summary: Edd is on the path of destruction. He only gave himself a month to live; to decide if there was anything worth living for. The recent feelings for Kevin has stirred his mind making him confused and desperate. Can Kevin become the one thing that ties Edd to life? Or will Edd disappear from the lives of everyone?
1. Read Me

Thank you for reading this first!

This story is under progress and is my very first fanfiction that I've made. Please note that it has a lot of triggering themes and will be edited to be rated M later as the story progresses.

I do not own Ed, Edd n Eddy but the story does come from a brainstorm me and my boyfriend have together

Reviews would be extremely beneficiary to make sure I make this story to its best.

Thanks in advance~

-Vladinor and his boyfriend Noahbear

**Dedicated to my love Noahbear 3**


	2. Bathroom Crushes

Bathroom Crushes

_31 days to decide..._

He was there again in the same spot like usual. Two sinks down on the counter pressing the worn out button of the soap dispenser. He must have been there awhile there was an oozing mess of floaral smelling soap dripping off the counter. He was the star quarterback of the school's football team. His name was Kevin. He had firery orange hair that was cut short but longer in his fringe area. It was side swooped through the back of his hat. The hair was just short enough so his piercing green eyes could stare people down. Kevin's smile was bright but also dangerous. Usually when he smiled someone would get hurt after.

While it was nice to see a familiar face everyday Eddward wasn't sure if this was the face he wanted to see. That face was a long time tormentor of his, dating all the way to his early childhood after he had moved to Peach Creek. No matter how long they knew and grew up with each other didn't change Kevin's mind. Two years together in high school only taught Edd that he could have been different back then.

But it had been strange lately. Many people have been snickering at Edd as he walked to classes or lunch or rather anywhere. Even at the local shops he'd somehow be the reason people were laughing. Many people at school whispered rumours of him. Many that were untrue. Recently though, during times that Eddward went into the bathroom Kevin would be there; two sinks down making a mess with soap. He would stare at Edd all the while he was in the bathroom then leave just before he did. In all honesty it was getting creepy how often he'd be in the bathroom with him.

Edd shook his head softly the end of his worn out black hat hitting his neck. Thinking to much would cause him to draw unnecessary conclusions that usually ended up with him getting the wrong painful answer. But the reason why he was in the bathroom this morning was unlike the others. He stared at his pale face, his bright blue eyes looking hard at the reflection seeing if there was any discolouration. Upon his touch he winced at the pain. Of course his face would bruise up after what he went through. He was never hit in the face before but there was always a time for a first.

"What's the matter Double Dork? Eddy's scam back fire on you?" Kevin suddenly spoke his voice dripping with false concern

Edd took a deep breath, "Yes Kevin that is what happened. Just like every other time Eddy, Ed, and I work on a scam together."

"Dude watch your tone with me." Kevin snarled scooping up the counter soap in one of his hands.

Edd was about to argue persuassively with Kevin when he opened his mouth and Kevin lunged. They both fell to the floor and Kevin had the smaller male trapped underneath him. Edd couldn't scream out for help because his bully shoved his gooping amount of soap into his mouth. With his mouth full of soap he tried to breath through his nose but had little luck. His eyes began to water as he feebly hit Kevin.

"Are you going to apologize? I don't like snide smart asses." Kevin put a little more pressure on Edd's mouth.

Edd nodded quickly and Kevin got off of him in an instant. He began spitting out the soap and gasping for air. His body tried to throw up but the lack of food only brought up foam. He shook for awhile until he was made aware of what he had to do.

"Well?"

"I'm sorry Kevin..." Edd said in a raspy voice.

The larger male left the bathroom leaving Edd all alone in a puddle of soap and foam. He began crying as he tucked his knees up to his chest. It was stupid. They were already a few months into their third year of high school and still he was beaten up and treated like a kid. And despite the rude actions and tormenting Kevin had done to him, he knew that his feelings for him weren't the right ones. He should have hated Kevin's guts or at least resented him. But every day he got some small time with Kevin increased his infatuation with him. It was true he liked Kevin more than a friend but he knew it was in vain. He was still in the closet and people were treated even worse than Edd was right now in the school for being open.

After a good ten minutes of waiting and crying Edd got up and washed out his mouth. He would go tell the janitor and ask the nurse for an excuse slip. Recently his attendence had begun to faulter and his grades started to slip; let alone getting out of bed in the morning was one of the biggest tasks he had to face. But when a person would ask if he was alright he'd lie to them and say he was just fine. After awhile no one bothered to ask anymore. Not even Eddy or Ed. They just assumed the answer would be the same.

Edd fixed his appearance in the mirror once more and left the bathroom. He would need a hot steam bath tonight to get rid of all the germs that contaminated him. With a sad sigh he began his shitty day.


	3. Slipping Standards

Slipping Standards

_30 days to decide..._

The hallway echoed with light pitter patter sounds. Edd was breathing heavily, the left over soap residue burning in his lungs. He scampered to class very much aware that he was extremely late to his hardest class of the day. This was the first time in his entire school career that he was late. No matter how good or bad he felt during the day he was always punctual. Always.

He didn't mean to fall asleep in the library after his last class. Edd just felt so worn out and not full of energy. One minute he was working on his history paper and the next he was being shaken awake by the old librarian. He bolted through the labyrinth of the school trying not to run but also trying to lessen the punishment of how late he was.

Edd knew that when he entered class he would have to be ridiculed by his old teacher. She was the strictest teacher in the school. Her name was Applebrun and she had taught most of the teachers that were at the school today. Her hair was whiter than snow and her skin dropped off of her face like it was melting. Applebrun's classes usually came out with a 50% failing rate because most of the students couldn't handle the intense work.

He took in deep breaths as he stood just out of view of the classroom's little door window. Edd knew that all the eyes would be called to him as he entered so he decided he might as well be as calm as he could. Edd pushed his fringe out of his face and bit his lip. It was better to be late than to not show at all right? At least that was his theory on things.

He stretched his hand out for the cool handle and turned it slowly. Applebrun's voice came hissing out like an angry snake.

"Who is it?" Her voice dripped with anger of being interrupted during one of her harsh lectures.

Edd pulled the door open and stepped inside letting his foot soften the shutting noise. He looked around the classroom at his peers. He found his two best friends in the back like usual. They stared at him surprised to see him late. Eddy and Ed always teased him about being the perfect student and the perfect person in general.

"Mr. Vincent, why are you interrupting my class? Do you not know how late you are?" Applebrun turned towards him and hobbled over slowly.

"I am very sorry. I was in the library and I dozed off. I had a very exaughsting-" Edd began but quickly cut off.

"I don't care for your petty excuses!" She howled, "You know my rules and concequences that come out of things like this."

Edd nodded and began to protest, "I know and I am so very sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen-"

"Whether you meant it to or not you still did it. After school detention Mr. Vincent and you better show up on time!" Applebrun turned from him to direct the class once more.

Edd knew he should let it go but he couldn't resist pointing out things to her. "Would you find it in your heart to let me go with a warning? You have done so for many other students in this classroom."

She turned to him again her face full of anger. "You expect me to let you off the hook? When you damn well know the rules of this classroom? You signed a release form saying you read and understood the rules implied here, which means that you know there will be no exceptions. And you come to me asking to be let off the hook in front of your peers who haven't gotten the soft treatment?"

Edd tried to speak but she cut him off with even more anger. "Listen to me, I know your family. I taught both your mother and father. They were both sorry excuses for students begging and crying when they got in trouble. Your father learned quickly but your mother was too slow to learn anything."

"Applebrun please calm down I didn't want to upset you." Edd said softly. The class was eerily quiet absorbed in his and the teachers heated discussion. Eddy and Ed looked a bit offended the way the teacher was talking to their friend.

"You don't think I haven't noticed? Your grades are slipping and now this? You're not tardy just by a few minutes but nearly half the class has passed. I used to be able to talk about you to my fellow colleges because you were the star student I've never had. And now I find it disgraceful to even mention you. You're losing your worth in this class before long you'll be in the same foot steps as that dreadful mother of yours! Now, will you dare tell me another thing? Or do I have to write you up?"

Edd was too stunned to speak. Never before had anyone talked about his family like that. His heart felt like it was going to explode with sadness. Edd looked down at the floor and proceeded to his desk not daring to look at one person in fear he might break down. He felt Ed's large hand pat him on the back.

"She's a bitch anyway..." Eddy whispered just loud enough for Edd to hear.

It brought a smile to his face but it didn't last for long. The class passed slowly almost like a torcher to Edd for just asking a question. His ears caught the whispers of his classmates. There wasn't a doubt that this incident would be all over school by the next class period.

Edd couldn't concentrate on taking his usual notes. He sat there staring at his desk straightening his pencil whenever someone bumped his desk. He wondered how his mother handled this teacher. She was really a strong woman. He admired her for standing up for herself. Before the car accident she'd tell him stories of her life. Small ones that didn't really bring up much attention. And some days she'd tell him some of the darkest things she went through. That of course was on the days she didn't work which were rare but also the best days he could remember.

The bell rang and everyone eagerly bolted from the classroom leaving Edd and his two friends behind. Luckily for them it was lunch period next. Edd was going to take that time to unwind. As he walked to the front of the class the teacher beckoned him over. He nodded at Eddy and Ed to go get a seat for them in the cafeteria.

"Yes Ms. Applebrun?" Edd said quietly trying to conceal the sadness in his tone.

"Look, I'm sorry for exploding on you like that. It was out of line to bring up your family like that in front of your peers as well as your grades. I know how important those are to you. But you see, I have never once seen a report of your grades as fowl as they are now. I am concerned about you because I understand that the pressure of having a lot of high level classes can bring a person down. Is there anything going on in your life that is bringing you down?" Applebrun asked softly.

Edd shook his head and answered swiftly, "No everything is fine."

She nodded then handed Edd his detention slip. "It's not the full time but I can't let you go without some punishment from missing so much class."

He took the slip and left the room without another word. The word must have already gotten out about him. People were staring and whispering quietly. Some even went out of their way to leave a large space around him like he had a sickness. With some struggle through different crowds of people he joined Eddy and Ed at the back table.

"Well it's about time yah showed up!" Eddy said in his usual loud manner. "God I thought that bitch ate you or something."

"Double Dee is back safely with friends!" Ed smiled widely.

Edd smiled at them and shook his head. They hadn't really changed much since middle school. Eddy grew taller than Ed finally but the two of them were both well built. Ed participated in sports but only for the football season. Eddy had taken up an interest in business running classes mainly to improve his scams.

"Don't you worry Eddy, I can handle myself in these situations. And it's highly unlikely that anyone in Peach Creek would actually be cannibalistic by nature." Edd laughed as Ed dug into his tray full of gravy.

Eddy let his hair grow out a little over the summer and Ed was in dire need of a hair cut. Edd still wore his hat but his hair was tightly pinned to his scalp. He never let it get cut just like no one has seen all of his hair. Most they get is his fringe which is usually pushed out of his face. Edd listened to Eddy and Ed debate about their weekend plans. To work on a new scam using Eddy's new logic in the subject or to do a monster movie marathon of a new series that Ed had gotten into.

They had gotten quiet when Edd realized they were staring at him. He looked at them both then raised his eyebrows in concern.

"Is there something on my face?" Edd asked worried.

"Well not really but your face is kind of turning blue." Eddy said slowly eyeing him.

Edd's brows furrowed then he excused himself from the table taking his bag with him. He once more pushed past the crowds of people blocking out their chatter about him. He'd worry about that another time. If his face was bruising he needed to cover it up. In truth it wasn't a scam that had injured his face but more personal reasons. Reasons that he couldn't tell to anyone or risk everything.

He went into his usual bathroom and to his surprise Kevin wasn't there. Edd looked cautiously around the room and ducked into a stall. He put a protective mat over the toilet seat as he sat down. In truth he didn't have to use the bathroom. His hands dug through his bag while he listened intently for anyone who may enter the bathroom. Once he found what he was looking for he pulled it out carefully.

It was a sharp razor disinfected from the time before he used it. Edd sighed sadly knowing what he was about to do. He placed it softly on the toilet paper dispenser and stood up removing his sweater. His arms were covered in fresh cuts from the morning. He had gotten in a fight with his father. It resulted to his face being bruised and a new set of cuts on his arms.

Edd sat back down and took the razor to his skin slowly. He drag the metal deep into his skin feeling bliss as his blood dripped out. He deserved to feel like shit. Like his teacher said he was disgraceful and becoming worthless. One cut on each arm for every letter in the word 'disgraceful'. His bad habit couldn't wait until he was home but he was prepared anyway. He pulled out of his bag disinfectant for the razor and for his arms along with small bandages. Edd cleaned himself up and pulled his sweater back on. He had gotten used to wearing it now all the time.

He exited the stall and went to the sink. The next thing he had to do was assess his face. It was starting to turn blue on the left side. It was strange to him, that even though there was no female in the house he had a lot of the common makeup. He had watched tutorials out of curiosity to see how hard it would be to do it for himself. Hours of watching the computer screen paid off as he managed to successfully cover his face up without one issue.

Kevin suddenly entered the bathroom startling Edd. He stared at the shaking boy and went to his usual spot by the soap dispenser. It was like a habit now to him to press the button and watch the soap ooze down. It calmed him greatly when he needed it.

Kevin looked up and realized that Edd was still shaking like a leaf. "What's up with you Double Dork?"

"I still remember this morning! Or maybe you have forgotten?" Edd snapped but then hesitated in fear of being bullied again.

The orange haired boy looked the raventte up and down. Taking in his features carefully like it was the first time he noticed him. "Why is a germaphobe like you doing in the dirtiest bathroom in the entire school?"

Edd looked around the bathroom knowing full well how dirty it was. This bathroom hardly got cleaned at all. The janitor always just walked pass the bathroom not even caring when Edd pointed out the need for it being cleaned. "I-I'm not a germaphobe."

Kevin looked at him. Edd wouldn't even let his hands touch the counter. "Put your hands on the counter."

"Excuse me?"

"Put your hands on the counter to prove that you're not a germaphobe."

Edd stared at him dumbfounded. For the life of him he wouldn't dare touch the counters or anywhere in the room that he couldn't inspect first. He looked at Kevin to see if he was serious. He knew his answer before he even looked at his face. "Okay I can't touch the counter it's the most filthiest thing I've been around that isn't a toilet. It's absolutely disgusting!"

Kevin chuckled triumphantly getting off the counter. "So why do you come in this bathroom?"

The smaller male walked around the bathroom for a few minutes trying to come up with an answer that actually was convincing enough. But why was he the only one getting questioned? It wasn't very fair to be the only one who was under fire. "Why do you come to this bathroom? It's my turn to get an answer from you."

"Well...I have problems with people. I usually come here to get away from every one so I don't have to deal with them." Kevin leaned back against the counter.

Edd was stunned for a few minutes before nodding, "Problems with people? Like is someone making you upset or bullying you?"

"Bullying me? Why would anyone even want to mess with me? I have issues trying to deal with people like I don't express myself correctly" Kevin said slowly trying to phrase it correctly but then turned back to his usual self. "Why are you in here? I would've thought with all that happened you'd be home crying to your mommy."

"My mother died when I was six in a car crash."

"Oh man I'm sorry I didn't know..." Kevin trailed off

"It's alright most people don't know that about me.

They stayed silent for awhile each just spacing out. Edd's arms began to ache and sting. His discomfort was showing as he pressed on his arms. His actions didn't go unnoticed.

"Hey...are you okay? Is there something wrong with your arms?" Kevin asked getting off the counter.

Edd shook his head quickly, "I think I'm just allergic to the soap."

"Your sweaters kind of bloody on the sleeve there."

"I had a nose bleed earlier before you came in."

Kevin nodded and walked over to Edd. He was at least a foot or more taller than the thin boy. Edd was a skeleton compared to Kevin. But Kevin's green eyes caught Edd's grey ones in a soft lock.

"Hey listen dude, I never really had much against you, you know?" Kevin said awkwardly, "So if you want to be like uhm friends I'm cool with that."

Before Edd could reply he was gone out of the bathroom leaving him there stunned. If he felt anything it was his heart beating quickly. His small crush on Kevin got a little bigger. He knew that it was a hell that he was going into by liking Kevin. He bit his lip and tried to argue with his mind to stop thinking of Kevin's soft stare and close proximity. The only thing his body told him to do was to kiss his lips and see if they were really as soft as he had heard all the other girls say they were.


	4. Texts

Texts

_29 days to decide..._

Edd wasn't sure he'd ever get over this day. Firstly the day didn't start the way he wanted with a fight with his father, then there was the incident the first time with Kevin in the bathroom, then after that being late to class for the first time, and now detention. Well he wouldn't be alone. Eddy and Ed always managed to land themselves in after school detention every day. It seems like for the same reason they be there making the teacher who ran the program that day so annoyed to the point that they managed to get out early.

Today's session would be in the library thankfully. Edd walked into the library to the back table where Ed and Eddy where having the same heated discussion from earlier. He sat down in front of them and pulled out his already complete work.

"Even when you have the time to chill out on the teacher's dime you still choose to be a goody two shoes." Eddy slammed his hand flat down on the table startling Edd.

"Well it's not like I wanted to be in detention, Eddy. By a giant mistake on my end I had to bare the consequences. So while I am here I might as well do the work that I was planning on doing at home." Edd said with a neutral tone.

"Double Dee! You're coming over tomorrow night for the monster movie night?" Ed cried happily.

The librarian shushed them loudly holding his old bony index finger to his lips as he did so.

"No way you big lump, Sock head has to come over to help me with my newest scam." Eddy poked Ed in the chest.

"Double Dee..." Ed pulled his famous sad puppy look on Edd.

Edd couldn't resist that look but he knew how to remedy the situation. "How about this, Eddy and I will come over and work on the scam while watching the movie marathon with you Ed."  
The two looked at each other and then back to Edd and nodded. And then Eddy's tone changed to a more serious one.

"So why were you late this morning to class? That's really unlike you."

Edd nodded and explained everything that happened before he was late. He excluded his early morning. And when asked about his face he lied about that as well. The topic changed from being serious to light hearted. It was like nothing had happened at all. Back to the old days when nothing was serious at library book alarm went off drawing their attention. Edd craned his neck past Eddy and Ed's. It was hell to get a look with their abnormally large heads in his face. He spied Kevin having a discussion with the librarian. Kevin looked over at him and Edd's face heated up.

"I have to go now." Edd shoved his things as neatly but quickly as he could in his messenger bag and stood up hastily.

"Where are you going? You can't leave yet detentions not over yet you have like another hour to go." Eddy said really surprised at Edd's suddenness.

"I was given a lesser sentence than you two and I can't stay here I have to go home." He sped walked out of the library pushing past Kevin accidentally as he turned around.

He muttered his apologies and was gone faster than a bat fleeing hell. Eddy turned to Ed and shrugged. Worry was written on Ed's face as he stared at where Edd was supposed to be. Kevin slowly walked over to their table. He hated talking with Eddy because of their troublesome childhood. No matter how many times Kevin tried to make peace with Eddy their already terrible relationship only got worse.

"Do you know why Double Dork left so quickly?" Kevin asked not daring to look at them.

"I don't know maybe you should shove off. After all you got him in this mess." Eddy snarled at Kevin his hands closed into fists.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"He told us about this morning. You shoved soap down his throat!"

Kevin sighed and kicked the carpeted floor. "Okay fine what ever."

* * *

His heart beat fast as he nearly ran down the side walk. The minute he left the library he knew he was in trouble. The football team was lurking in the hallways looking for small prey like Edd to beat up. He managed to escape from them after a few minutes but he couldn't stop running. His adrenaline was too high. Edd was wheezing by the time he reached his front door. His father's car was gone and he mentally sighed with relief. His hands shakily fumbled with the keys to the house. After jabbing at the handle a few times he got the key into the lock and allowed himself in.

The minute the door was shut he broke down and dropped to the floor. First it was hysterical laughter then it grew to be painful sobbing. He rocked back in forth holding his head. He wasn't sure why he was having this breakdown but he couldn't stop it. The inner voice in his head was screaming at him tearing him down every second. He started to scream but covered his mouth biting hard into his skin. He felt disgusting. Edd slammed his fists against the wall his stress levels were escalating quickly the longer he was on the floor. He began to become paranoid feeling the germs crawling and moving all over his skin.

Edd forced himself to crawl up the stairs to his bathroom. The bathroom was clean and properly disinfected like a hospital room. He made it over to where the tub was and turned the faucet to its hottest point.

"To clean properly water temperature must be extremely hot and disinfectant soap must be used..." Edd laughed hysterically as he stripped off all of his clothing.

A few years ago when his father remodeled his bathroom Edd wasn't allowed to use his father's shower nor could he use anyone else's shower. He broke down severely that time crying that he was dirty and needed to be dirtier. It got so far that he even dumped garbage all over himself laughing. A few weeks later he was able to function correctly like before that breakdown. Eddy and Ed helped him out during that breakdown letting him take showers at their places. Edd decided against bothering them with this. He just needed to be clean and properly sanitized. Edd ripped off his layers of clothing to his hat and threw them in a corner where he would dispose of them later.

The water started to spill over the rim of the tub coating the floor quickly in extremely hot water. Edd hissed in pain as he scrambled to shut off the faucet. The room was sadly quiet save for the small splashing from his feet. He looked around the room at the mess he'd have to clean up and then to the full body mirror.

Edd was a ghost of his former self. Three months ago he was completely fine he had perfect grades, a well fit body, and didn't suffer from what he was going through now. It was only when he just really thought about things did he begin to loathe them. His grades meant nothing to him after the first low score he got on a well written paper; years of hard work and constant struggle for perfection destroyed in a moment. Then he became the target of bullying at school which got worse each day. Finally when he assessed himself he lost his ability to move past things. Every minute that he spent thinking another flaw would be found and another action to destroy that flaw would be taken. He lost 30 pounds in the first two months due to his extremely cut back dietary. None of his clothes fit but he still wore them to mask his self destruction. However it was only the recent month that he began to hurt himself like he did earlier.

He examined his skeletal figure noticing major things. His hair had stopped growing but it was already down past his lower back. Its black colour stood out against his sickly pale skin. Despite getting thick hair from his father Edd ended up getting more of his mother's hair genetics. It made him happy to be able to carry on her hair genetics.

Edd put one hand against the mirror and sighed. He had put off getting nicely cleaned for too long now. Dipping one foot into the water Edd let out a small cry. The water was scorching hot burning him the second it touched him but still he continued to force himself into the tub. If there was anything worse than dipping fresh cuts into really hot water it was scrubbing them with disinfectant soap. After a half an hour the pain subsided and Edd sunk into the water sleepily. He draped himself over the edge of the tub incase he fell asleep. Sure enough within a second he was asleep.

* * *

Kevin bit his lip as he paced across his room. His thumb had been hovering over the send button for over an hour. He had managed to weasel out Edd's cell phone number from Ed. He was acting strange when he left the library and Kevin wanted to check up on him. However at the same time it felt like it would be a bad idea to contact the dork. After all he did bully him the years past and this morning. His heart told him that he needed to apologize at the least to Edd, he must have really hurt the guy. Kevin felt guilty for going as far as to shoving soap down the guy's throat. Just because he had problems dealing with people didn't give him the right to be that aggressive.

Kevin's eyes looked over the message he wanted to send for the nineteenth time. 'Hey Double Dork you ok?'

He threw himself on his bed and let out a loud sigh. His anxiety was killing him for even wanting to talk to the guy. Reaching him outside of school felt like a bad idea and an invasion of personal privacy. Kevin threw his phone across his room and buried his face in the pillows on his bed. He couldn't do it but little did he know the message accidentally sent.

* * *

Edd woke up to his heater whirring softly beside his bed. It was really strange to him since the last place he remembered being was in the bathroom. He was completely dressed and even had a new warm sweater on. He got up and checked the bathroom. It was completely clean and there was no indication that he'd even gone in there. He walked back to his bed and found a glass on his night stand with a note on it.

'Please drink for me Eddward. -Mom'

He rolled his eyes and went down stairs. To his surprise he could hear his father in the dining room talking to someone. It would probably just be another co-worker for another one night stand. His father hated when Edd came into the dining room to meet the girl. After the first few 'lessons' he learned not to even ask. Edd quietly grabbed a bottle of water and snuck back up to his room before his father realized he had come downstairs.

With his work already being done Edd was free to do what ever he liked. Although he hated not having something to do it bored him to the point he would make things up to do. He pulled out his cell phone from his back pack and turned it on. The phone turned on fast and displayed a new message icon. There was four different messages to read through. Two from Ed, one from Eddy, and one from an unknown number. Edd replied to Ed and Eddy first confirming their plans for the next day. Finally the weekend had come and to be honest Edd was ready to get out of the house.

The last message confused him at first being from an unknown contact. He hesitated before opening it up to a one lined message.

'Hey Double Dork you okay?'

There was really only one person who he knew called him by that repulsive nick name. 'How did you get this number?'

Edd took a few drinks of his water before he heard his phone go off.

'Ed gave it to me. It wasn't hard to get it. What are you doing up? It's 2 am man.'

Edd bit his lip but decided to give an actual answer this time.

* * *

Kevin was awoken by his phone suddenly blaring a song. He bolted out of bed and grabbed his phone quickly switching off the sound. He was going to cuss out the little shit that woke him up. But to his surprise it was Edd who replied to his accidental text.

'How did you get this number?'

Of course he would be more concerned with the less important details. 'Ed gave it to me. It wasn't hard to get. What are you doing up? It's 2 am man.'

The neon green clock beside Kevin's bed shone brightly displaying 2:00. Kevin didn't mean to have fallen asleep let alone send that text message but if he was awake now he might as well get what he wanted to off of his chest.

His phone vibrated quickly in his hands. 'I couldn't sleep. I had a small issue but I resolved it. I'm sorry to have awoken you.'

Kevin's thumbs shot across the key pad like an angry hornet. 'You didn't wake me. I wanted to apologize for earlier since you know it wasn't real cool of me to hurt you like I did.'

'It's okay I forgive you. It's not like that would be the last time you will hurt me. If any of the prior experiences with you have proven anything to me it is that you will always take your anger out on others. Whether you mean to or not.'

'Ouch man that's a little cold. You know I've been working on resolving my anger issues lately.' Kevin felt a small stab in his heart from Edd's direct emotionless comment.

'I am sorry if that came off blunt I didn't mean for it to.'

* * *

Edd stretched his legs while he waited for Kevin to reply. To him Kevin texting him was weird and a little upsetting but it was nice to know he wanted to apologize for earlier that day.

'I'm still tired so I'm gonna go back to sleep.'

'Alright. Good night Kevin.'

'Good night Double Dork.'

Edd sighed greatly and put his phone on the night stand. He liked that Kevin wanted to talk to him but it was a killer on his heart. He wanted Kevin to notice him more than some dork that did homework and was pushed easily into decisions he didn't like. Edd smiled and slipped under the covers on his bed and let his mind wander. It just kept coming back to the same thought over and over again. Him kissing Kevin.


	5. Secret Kiss

Secret Kiss

_28 days to decide..._

The lights of the school didn't fully come on at this time in the morning. It was darker than usual deep black clouds let out pouring rain. Thick puddles coated the side walks and the grass was drowning in the water they needed. It was unlike him to be there so early when there was hardly anyone in the building. The last few years he was always late and he didn't worry about impressing just one person. It was strange for him to even want to impress anyone. Dealing with social anxiety was always his downfall.

Kevin wasn't sure how long he had been dealing with the anxiety. He would put up a brave front for others but alone he let it down and usually spent his alone time crying or thinking about what he could have done differently. The problem with people lasted for a few years so he guessed. Only when he had to much to deal with people did he often flip out and hurt people.

But recently there has been just one person on his mind. Someone who he'd never thought would occupy every single thought that ran through his head. When it came to confronting people he usually wanted nothing to do with them but this person calmed him completely. That was why every morning for the last few weeks he'd be there before that person in the bathroom. Watching when he wasn't looking of all his small actions. Admiring every small detail about him.

Kevin didn't know why or even how he started to fall for the dork but he did hard and fast. Texting him last night or rather early this morning made him realize just a bit more how much he had grown to like the dork. He smiled when he looked at himself in the mirror. Today he felt brave enough to ask the dork out for hanging out reasons. Just to see if he really liked him as much as he felt he did. In ten minutes the dork would be here and the general anxiety of asking someone out would be gone.

Each minute that went by he grew even more anxious and by the tenth minute that passed the anxiety turned to worry. It was unlike Edd to not come to the bathroom in the morning. But maybe something came up and he had to go somewhere else. It wasn't like he was turned down or anything but it still hurt. Maybe he had gotten ill from yesterday. That would mean though that Kevin was responsible for him getting ill which wouldn't make for a very good first impression.

* * *

Eddy impatiently sighed as he put down his cell phone. Ed looked over at him with worry in his eyes and gravy all over his face. They had tried to reach their best friend for a few hours now but he never responded to any of the attempts. It was extremely unusual for him to miss a day of school. Edd never missed a day of school even when he was really sick. So this time was worrying the two greatly. They had noticed that their friend was declining in health and often made sure he was okay but it had never gotten so bad to the point Edd wouldn't respond to them. Edd lately had been distant from them and talked about fact of when a person dies. At first the two had thought he was just kidding about how he wanted to die but they grew to be more serious after awhile.

"Does Double Dee not like us anymore Eddy?" Ed put down his spoonful of food to address his friend.

"In one day? Hell no I bet he just had something really important come up that's all." Eddy laughed trying to act fine for Ed.

"Do you think he will respond?" Ed whispered in an implying tone.

"Don't think like that Ed, sock heads just fine!" Eddy snapped picking up his phone and sending another text.

Kevin hated the cafeteria more than anything. There was just to many people to be around but he had to know if Edd was alright. Not showing up in the bathroom this morning was highly alarming for him. Edd made it his habit to go into that exact bathroom for two years straight to break it today put up a lot of red flags. Kevin stopped in the middle of walking to acknowledge how creepy that sounded. He wasn't in the cafeteria just to chat with people but he wanted to see Edd. The table in the back is usually where he and his other two...not so great friends sat everyday.

He received a lot of hellos as he passed by crowds of people. He didn't understand how he was so popular with people even though he spent most of his time afraid to even talk to one person. Kevin reached the back table and was immediately crushed not seeing Edd there in his usual spot. Eddy and him locked eyes and for once they didn't get into a fight. Eddy's head shook quickly and he turned his attention back to Ed. Kevin turned his attention to his cell phone in his pants pocket. It was worth trying to reach him. He left the cafeteria and went to his usual spot in the bathroom. With a heavy sigh he pushed the call option for Edd. The phone began ringing and Kevin closed his eyes waiting for the answer.

* * *

The phone on the night stand began vibrating loudly. Edd sprung up from his sleep and grasped at the phone. The alarm for school never went off and he couldn't tell what time of day it was since he put up a black curtain on his one window. Still half asleep Edd flung the phone open and pressed the answer button.

"H-hello?" His half sleepy voice came out in a hoarse tone.

"Hey uh Double Dork." Kevin's voice carried loudly through the phone

"Why are you calling me at night?" Edd rubbed the bridge of his nose in agitation for being awoken.

"Uh its almost one in the afternoon dude."

Edd's stomach dropped with a terrible feeling. He had missed school by an accidental alarm failure. His hard work for perfect attendance was just shot down the drain. "I...see how unfortunate for me..."

"Are you okay? You're kind of worrying me." Kevin sighed quietly.

"I'm going to have to message you another time. I need to go." Edd said staring at the clock.

Before Kevin could say anything the call ended leaving a buzzing sound in his ear.

Edd got out of bed and slipped on his old bunny slippers. Surprisingly enough they still fit his feet even though he had aged a lot. His stomach growled loudly and painfully raking Edd's body in pain. He hadn't ate anything for at least two days now but he was going to feed himself now to stop the pains. In all honesty Edd didn't know what all happened last night. He shuffled down the stairs to the kitchen slowly. There were small post it notes scattered along his path all signed with the word 'mom'.

'Don't afraid to tell people how you feel. - Mom'

'Make sure to eat a good meal today. - Mom'

'Try to improve your mental and physical health. -Mom'

It irritated Edd to no end collect all the small notes that he knew he wrote. His mother died when he was six in a car accident that left him emotionally scarred for a long time. It was after the dodge ball accident at Lemon Tree Elementary that left part of his head scarred and unable to grow back hair let alone feel anything at all. After that day it sparked his constant need to wear a hat and hide his hair to preserve what little he had left of his mother while hiding his deformity. But the notes were very current. Edd also knew that at times he would black out after stressful days and wake up to notes scattered with his hand writing.

At first it scared him to no end but after a few years he realized that even in sleep he never really stopped doing things. He wrote all the notes while he was sleeping to help him when he woke up to take care of himself. Since his father never was around he usually relied on the notes to help him through hard times. But right now they were only irritating him with having to collect so many.

In the kitchen there was already preservable food set out for Edd to just eat. A chilled canister of a well blended fruit smoothie, bread with peanut butter sealed in an air tight bag, and a handful of different nuts. After collecting the last note Edd began to eat slowly on the things he had set out for himself. While he hated himself a lot his mind also wanted him to know that it cared for him. It was really strange to Edd but it was also comforting in a way.

The chores were done quickly after he finished his late lunch which only took an hour to do all of them. The dinning room was cleaned from his father's date and the wash was folded and put away. Dishes were loaded into the washer and set to be cleaned. He did these chores everyday as a way to pass the time and stop himself from thinking to much however now that he had nothing to do Edd was quite bored.

He bit his lip and went back up to his dark bedroom trying to find something to entertain him. There weren't any experiments he could have been working on since he stopped meddling a long time ago with gadgets and inventing things. They never worked anyway and most of the time it just brought Edd down that he couldn't get one single invention correct. It never should have been so hard to get at least one thing right.

Edd checked his cell phone once more and decided to reply to his friends finally.

'Double Dee where r u?' His friend's text was sweet but annoying in shortened words.

'I am fine I just seemed to have over slept. I will walk down to meet you guys when school ends so we can all just go to your place.'

Next was Eddy's five messages all at different hours.

'Sock head where are you? You're worrying lumpy.'

'Come on Double D respond to us at least.'

'You were acting really strange yesterday before you left me and Ed just want to know if you're okay.'

'You didn't die on us did you? That would be selfish of you if you did at least give us a warning if you are going to die.'

'Did you get into another fight with your dad?'

Edd's fingers quickly pressed the letters on the key pad. "Eddy I am fine I just over slept. I am not dead nor would I give you a warning if I was going to that would be silly. No my dad had another female friend over last night so he didn't have time to fight with me. I am meeting Ed and you at school when it ends so we can just go to his place. You need to give me the basic concepts of the newest scam you want to work on so that way I have an idea of what should be done for it.'

With a sigh he typed out one more message and sent it to Kevin. 'Sorry about earlier for hanging up so quickly. I was very alarmed by my lateness for waking up. Why did you call me?'

Happy with his responses he laid back on his bed staring at the ceiling thinking about what Eddy had said. He wouldn't tell them when he was going to die that would defeat the purpose that he wanted for things. Edd didn't want to keep going on each day knowing he was becoming more and more of a disappointment to himself and to others he once had hoped to impress. He didn't want to face the constant bullying and fighting that he went through each day that was mainly over small things that didn't have any real value to them. Personally he was drained both physically and mentally. Tired of waking up everyday and going through a hell just to go back to sleep for a few hours before having to do it all over again.

At the end of this month though it wouldn't matter. No one would care or even miss Edd when he was gone. He planned on just disappearing from everyone and leaving to a permanent slumber. He dreamed of it everyday how it would happen, how long it would take, and all of the freedom he would gain. To be free among the clouds or reunited with his mother was all he wanted. And Edd was going to make sure that he'd get it without any one messing up his plan.

The cell phone vibrated against Edd's side throwing him from his thoughts and into a state of panic. With a quick look it was a message from Kevin which was strange he should be suited up for P.E. since it was his favourite subject out of any of the classes he had. Edd frowned at knowing that much about his acquaintance and read the message slowly.

'I was actually just seeing how you were doing you know. I wanted to apologize for yesterday and I thought that maybe my actions hurt you more than I thought they did.'

'Thank you for the apology you are forgiven. I am finding it strange that you wanted to see how I was doing. You could have just waited until next week to ask me if you were that concerned.'

Edd stood up and walked over to his closet pulling out his usual wear of skinny black jeans, a shirt one size to big, new under garments, a pair of red socks, and his hat. He slipped his night clothing off and put them into a hamper then pulled on his other wear quickly before the room turned him too cold to function. He stepped lightly into the bathroom and began combing his hair until there were no tangles. He remembered what Eddy had said the first time he had seen Edd without his hat.

_"You should really think about cutting your hair." Eddy grabbed a handful of Edd's hair and held it up to his nose like a mustache._

_Edd pulled his hair away angrily. "There is no way on earth that I would allow anyone to cut my hair. There are so many different possibilities that could go wrong. Not to even out rule the many different germs that are infecting the hair salon and the tools that they used. My hair will not be touched or seen by anyone else."_

_"Geez Sock head you should really lighten up. At least around us you should let it down." Eddy placed his hand on Edd's shoulder. "It's really good looking on you, you shouldn't have to hide it."_

Edd tied up his hair high on his head and slipped his hat over it. He went around gathering his things in a bag that he would need at Ed's. His laptop with its charger, a change of clothes, and his wallet for late at night when they went to the store for their usual sweet snacks. With one last look in the mirror Edd was out of the house and on his way to the school. The rain completely soaked him within the first few minutes of his walk. His hat wouldn't stop slipping off of his head every few seconds. With a heavy sigh he took of his hat slowly insecurity beginning to eat him up. He didn't want anyone to see his hair but on a day like this is agitation with a soaked hat he didn't have much of a choice. Edd wouldn't go into the school but he would wait outside of it.

His phone vibrated in his pocket suddenly making Edd stop in his tracks to fish out his phone. It was hard to concentrate on the words while the rain kept leaving the screen in a blur. At this rate he would be late to school to meet his friends. He bit his lip and hurried on to school leaving the message unanswered.

* * *

Kevin sat on the bathroom counter staring at his phone. Edd finally replied to him but he wasn't quite as friendly as Kevin expected him to be. A little cold and blunt but that wasn't something out of the ordinary. He had dealt with an unhappy dork many times before but this time it was different. Kevin felt hurt but still wanting to make amends.

'I couldn't really wait until the next time I saw you. Edd there's something I want to tell you.'

He wanted the dork to reply quickly. Not being able to talk to him or even seeing him was strangely driving him crazy. It wasn't supposed to be this way. He wasn't supposed to like a guy let alone a nerd for that matter. He was supposed to be straight and fall for a girl like Nazz. He was supposed to raise a family and carry on his family's genes. But it wasn't like that no matter how hard he wanted it to be. Kevin fought the idea for years that he was anything but straight however every single time he had an encounter with the Ed's he couldn't help but focus on just one of them. He never hurt the one he liked as badly as he did the other two.

Edd fast walked through the hallways and towards the bathroom keeping his head down. He didn't want anyone to recognize that it was him and pointing him out to authority figures. He didn't think that by some chance that the one person he would have desperately wanted to avoid at that moment would be there. Edd ducked into the usual bathroom and stood in front of the mirror grabbing some paper towels from the dispenser. One of the stall doors was closed making Edd a little antsy but he didn't think much of it. He pulled his hair out of the pony tail he had it in and let it fall down hitting his back.

The stall door creaked open and Kevin walked out pulling up his sleeves to his elbows. Edd turned quickly staring in horror of who he saw. Kevin looked up and stood frozen staring at Edd. The rooms temperature dropped a few degrees as the two stared at each other not moving or breathing. The smaller male took a step back and turned to leave but the other grabbed his wrist pulling him back.

"Please don't go." Kevin's voice sounded sad.

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Edd tried to pull his hand away.

"Please I need to talk to you it's important and I don't think it can wait."

Edd stood still and looked up at Kevin meeting his eyes. "What is it?"

A deep blush spread across Kevin's face as he let go of Edd's hand. "Look I've been thinking about you for a long time like I can't get you out of my head no matter what I try."

Edd's phone began to vibrate without stopping. "I have to answer this."

He held up the phone to his ear still staring at the other male. "Hey Eddy, yes I am at the school. I'm waiting for you to get out of classes so we can go to Ed's."

Kevin sighed and decided that he had to get his point across.

"Where are we going to meet up at? The library? Are you forgetting yesterday? The library is not where I want to go back to right now."

Kevin walked closer to Edd his face growing redder by the second.

"Just meet me outside of the school. I don't care what-" Edd was cut short his eyes growing wide.

Kevin placed his lips against Edd's and gave a small kiss. He put his hand against the smaller male's freezing cold face and rubbed a small circle on his cheek.

"Double D?" Eddy's voice reached out from the phone.

Edd pulled away from Kevin in shock and mumbled into the phone, "Just meet me outside of the school. I have to go."

Kevin stared worried at him afraid that he made a major mistake but he wanted to know the truth once and for all. "I had to tell you...that I like you."

Edd looked down his mind in a blur. It couldn't be happening now the one time he wanted nothing to do with Kevin was the one moment that he had the largest moment with him. He liked Kevin as well a lot more than he ever would have expected him to. But this moment he wasn't ready for.

"I..." Edd sighed, "I like you too but right now I just can't handle this."

"Wait Edd please lets just talk about this. I have liked you for a few years now and I just can't keep it in." Kevin's voice cracked in fear.

Edd smiled slightly knowing that for once he actually had a good thing coming to him. "I have liked you for awhile now too but people wont accept anything. You're supposed to be my enemy by stereo typical standards..."

Kevin sighed and then leaned in for one more kiss. Edd didn't hesitate this time letting Kevin lead him before pulling back. "I have to go now. Please tell no one of my being here. It never happened."

Edd ran out of the bathroom before Kevin could say anything else. He hurried back outside into the pouring rain and let down his barrier. He sat down on the school steps and cried until he heard the bell ring within the school. He wanted what had happened for a long time but right now he couldn't do it.

Ed and Eddy met him outside of the school and Edd put back on his brave face. As they were walking off in the direction of Ed's house Edd looked over his shoulder and saw Kevin standing there watching him. He knew that this wasn't going to be over anytime soon.


	6. Water Comfort

_**A special thank you to everyone who has read this story so far! I try to keep it updating at least every day or every other day while providing as many details as I can. And an extra special thank you to my love who drew the cover art for me. Thank you all so much I hope you enjoy the further installments!**_

* * *

Water Comfort

_27 days to decide..._

Laughter echoed up from the room driving the young red head nuts. She hated hearing the happiness of her brother and his idiotic friends it was sickening to her. She marched down the stairs and towards the basement slamming her feet down with a lot of force.

"ED!" Her howl was heard through the floor over the loud television and laughter.

The three Ed's froze in their spots their voices dying instantly knowing to well what was going to come next. A lot of yelling and cat scratches from the sibling that hated their guts. The door slammed open and a raging sister howled again as she lunged for her brother.

"Sarah!" The Ed's cried out sprinting in opposite directions of each other.

It was rather annoying and upsetting to Edd to have to run away from a younger person like Sarah. Ed tried several times to make their sibling bond closer but it never worked only leaving his sister wanting to claw out his eyes even more. But where there was Ed who took the beating of his sister the other two weren't left out. Recently they developed an escape plan from Sarah's hell rage which involved a lot of running and a quickly time escape through the small window that Ed had in his room.

Edd was the first one out while Sarah was hell bent on Ed then Eddy would scramble through with some difficulties of the window. The window used to be bigger but it was replaced when Ed's parents decided to ground him for bad grades. It was stupid really, Ed was a brilliant person at heart but he wasn't able to properly communicate what he thought. And their bratty child Sarah always got pampered and never in trouble because she was the baby.

"Ed come on!" Eddy yelled helping Edd keep the window open so it would be a clean shot.

Ed ran around a few more times then leaped for the window getting halfway through until his coat got snagged on the window frame.

"ED! YOU'RE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE MISTER!" Sarah scratched at her older brother's legs causing him to cry out and kick.

Sarah was kicked in the face and fell back unconscious on the floor from Ed's powerful kick.

"Let's get out of here lumpy!" Eddy laughed and let the window slam shut once Ed freed himself.

The three brushed themselves off and began their routine walk to one of the open convenience stores that was down the road. Edd was always the one who managed to bring money for their sugar needs. They had openly discussed doing drugs for recreational purposes but after a few good lectures by Edd they managed to settle on pushing their sugar levels out of proportion.

The street lamps shone brightly as they continued walking and talking about random things that happened in their day to old memories they shared. Out of no where Eddy brought up the kiss that Kevin dared him to do with Edd. Edd's face turned deep red but due to the darkness no one could tell.

"Why on earth would you bring up a memory like that? It was appalling to suddenly be kissed by you. Do you know how many germs are in the human mouth? Or how many diseases and infections one could give another?" Edd rambled on trying to distract them.

"I don't know Double D you were a pretty good kisser. I wouldn't mind having another one right now." Eddy laughed and slugged his friend in the arm.

"Ed wants a kiss from Double Dee first Eddy! It is not fair for you to get all of the kisses Ed needs love too!" Ed whimpered and looked at Edd.

"Absolutely not! There is no way you two will ever get a kiss from me! That is the filthiest thing I could ever imagine doing. Just crawling out of your window is driving me mad." Edd folded his arms across his chest firmly.

There was a small shop with a broken neon sign flashing open brightly. It was by the busiest part of the town cars never stopped going past the store which was good for business. And when it was the weekend the store got a good deal with the Ed's. They bought up almost half of their candies and sugary treats along with liters of soda. The Ed's split up in the store going and grabbing what they usually got and enjoyed eating. Edd wandered off near the daily needs section looking at the pain pills and first aid things. Edd's head was killing him ever since he had the run in with Kevin at school. While with his friends he turned off his phone so that he wouldn't be distracted by any attempts to talk to him by Kevin. He couldn't stop thinking of their kiss they shared. It was strange that Kevin of all people would like him back like Edd liked him. Kevin was know to be straight and with Nazz ever since middle school.

The two were considered a couple since they did a lot of things together and even shared intimate moments in the open. Edd never would have thought that he'd get the chance to kiss his crush. But maybe it was just a dream and he really was changing his own memory to what he wanted instead of what happened. Edd shook his head and took 9 packets of pain pills. This weekend was going to be long and painful to go through but he had hope that it would be more enjoyable than the week he had.

The three met up at the front and Edd paid for everything. They left the store and walked back slowly since there wasn't a rush to deal with a furious sister. Edd paused and stared at the busy road. Cars passed by faster than he could blink which took his breath away and sent a chill throughout his body.

"Double D?" Eddy asked calmly trying not to startle his friend.

"Huh...oh yes let us go home now." Edd said with a smile that was forced but perfected in the mirror to look real.

Across the street Kevin was staring at the three mainly focused on one. A sense of fear ran through him when he saw Edd stop and stare into the road. For a minute there it looked like he would walk into the road. He was ready to run out into the street to prevent him from doing so but he also seemed frozen in his spot to afraid to move. Afraid to see what would happen to the one he liked.

* * *

Once the Ed's were back in the house safely away from Sarah; Edd asked to use the bathroom for a shower. It was a miracle that he was able to convince Ed to bathe more than once a month. He had gotten to the point where he showered every other day and the bathroom was highly sanitized. Ed had to move his sponge collection some where else. Edd grabbed his spare clothes, phone, and the nine packets of pain pills and scuttled off into the bathroom. Curiosity was killing him with not knowing if Kevin had ever texted him or not. However at the same time he didn't really want to know if he did or if he was going to yell at him.

His phone vibrated as it powered up revealing there was 7 texts and 1 missed call. Edd stripped down and neatly folded his clothing putting it in a small pile near the door. He brushed his hair for a few minutes before he turned on the water to warm and plugged up the drain. A bath sounded better than a shower. While the water was filling up he decided to check the messages and caller id.

6 texts from Kevin and one missed call and a text from Father.

Edd sighed greatly the last thing he wanted to deal with was his father yelling at him again. It would be the ninth time in two days, he couldn't handle being told on a constant basis he wasn't good enough. However as he would have it he'd rather get the yelling over with than face it later.

'Eddward you are the most disgraceful son to my name. I can't believe that your mother actually had you. I thought I was getting a son who could live up to a lot of standards but no I get a pathetic waste of space like you. You don't answer your calls, you skip school, you're late to classes, and you let your grades slip. You're not a good son of mine. I don't even want to think of you as my son.'

Edd put the phone down on the tiles and slipped into the bathtub. Once he was seated he leaned over the edge one of his hands pushed at his fringe. He didn't want to go back home. He hated his father for a lot of reasons even though it wasn't always like this. It was one small thing that turned his father into an aggressive individual. They had been close on the days that his father did have off but the one day he thought his father would be okay with his sexuality was the day he grew cold and hateful towards him. He learned that day to never trust anyone with his secret. Eddy and Ed though guessed it a year ago through a strange manner. He shuddered thinking back to it the memory terrifying him a lot more than he wanted.

Now for what Kevin had sent him. Edd put his head on the cool marble bathtub rim calming himself of the nerves that were rising in his stomach.

'Hey, are you okay? We should really talk about what happened. I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable.'

'Double dork please respond to me the nerves are driving me crazy.'

'Was that your real hair btw? I mean I've never seen you without your hat before but god your hair was so long. How do you keep it out of sight?'

'You're not going to tell anyone are you? I really don't want to come back to school with rumors started by the dweebs.'

'What's that yelling coming out from Ed's house? The whole neighbourhood can hear you guys.'

'Edd please don't walk out into the street. I can't handle watching you die.'

Edd's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What did Kevin mean by die? He was just staring at the cars trying to calculate their mile per hour average.

'I am fine. I won't tell anyone if you don't tell anyone about my hair and yes it's real why wouldn't it be? What do you want to talk about?'

Within a minute of sending his text a reply came back.

'Do you like me? Like not just as a friend but like more than that...I understand if you don't.'

Edd looked away from the phone his face burning at the question. He wasn't sure what to say to Kevin. He liked him a lot more than friends for sure but he didn't know if he should try for something that he really wanted. The past few years Kevin had been on and off with Nazz dating and publicly showing affection for one another which led him to believe that Kevin could just be trying him. What if it was another trick on him and he ended up getting hurt a lot more than if he didn't go for it.

'Of course I do like you but I am afraid of what would happen if we did get together. There are so many different possibilities that could go wrong and all the different opinions of your peers and mine. Forgive me but I am quite weary of the reason why you would even go as far as to like me.'

He dropped his phone on the tiles and slipped under the water holding his breath. He watched his hair wave around in the water like seaweed. It was peaceful in the water despite holding his breath. Edd resurfaced to a loud bang on the door.

"Double D are you still in the bath? I have to piss." Eddy's voice came through loud and clear.

Edd rolled his eyes and ducked his face under the water. Eddy always had to go pee while he was in the bathroom it was quite annoying to have to deal with him coming in. "Just get in here and hurry it up."

Eddy barged in and did his usual thing. Edd slipped back under the water hiding his view from seeing anything he didn't want to see. Their relationship was strong and they acted more like feuding brothers than friends. Which saved them from having really awkward moments with liking one another but there was still boundaries that they'd never cross. A kick on the tub brought Edd up to the surface watching as Eddy left the room.

"You're gonna become a prune if you stay in that water to much longer."

Edd splashed in reply he didn't want to leave his warm water. It calmed him down and provided a strange sense of comfort. If he could he would never leave the warmth of the water even if he wasted away in the water.


	7. Blood Dyed Snow

Blood Dyed Snow

_26 days to decide..._

His blood shot eyes skimmed the text quickly not blinking once. There wasn't any sugar in his body to keep him up but he was used to late nights. His two friends were passed out on the floor slumped over one another from their wrestling match they had. They never lasted long on a sugar night like this one. It was like the sugar lulled them to sleep instead of making them hyper and awake. Which was good for Edd since he could sneak out of the room like usual.

He softly closed the laptop with a click and set it on the floor by his feet. It wouldn't be the first time that he had snuck out of Ed's basement to go somewhere else. It became sort of a ritual that he had to do to feel comforted for a few days at most. Edd stepped over Eddy's legs and looked behind him listening carefully. The soft snores of the two assured Edd that they'd be out until he got back. The small window creaked open and with a small gasp he was through the window and onto cold grass.

The sky above was a dull brown colour and the wind was brisk against Edd's coat-less body. He walked at a quick pace keeping his head down closer to his chest. Thankfully his hat was already pulled down over his ears to keep them warm in Ed's cold basement. By his instincts he predicted a cold rain or even a slight possibility for snow. That wouldn't stop him from where he was going.

* * *

Kevin let out a loud sigh and sat up on his bed. He had been trying to sleep for over three hours with no luck. Ever since the last text from the dork he just wanted the world to go away. People always wanted to take away any happiness that others were given. Kevin tried to be normal and as happy as he could lieing to his peers, his family, and himself. He wasn't the straight son he lead people on to believe he was. He worried about how Nazz would take it being told that he never was into her and that all the time they were together was just a lie. That would break her heart but Kevin's heart was breaking by the minute.

He got up and wandered to the window peering outside. Ever since that one summer night when the kid from school was found dead in a back alley after walking home at night; Kevin often looked out the window for any suspicious activity. His eyes widened as he watched a small thin figure scurry across the sidewalk but stop and look up at his window at him. Fear froze him in his spot but he couldn't stop watching as the figure looked away and broke into a sprint.

The one split second that the person ran into the light Kevin recognized who it was. He spun on his heels and quickly ran around his room throwing on clothing and grabbing an extra coat. There was a sudden blizzard warning placed on Peach Creek a few hours ago that was stated to start around now.

'He is so stupid for going out there alone. Does he not remember that summer?' Kevin thought as he threw open the window and squeezed through it.

A few years ago he snuck out of his house to meet up with Nazz at her house. He had gotten in a load of trouble but this time was different. Kevin had to protect Edd from what ever might happen to him.

He crawled down the side of the house and jumped when he was low enough to the ground without breaking his ankles. He sprinted down the sidewalk in the same way he saw Edd run. Luckily the dork had a problem with his stamina. He couldn't run very far or very fast without tiring out quickly. Which was just the case for tonight.

Edd was bent over in the shadows panting his lungs burning from running so fast. His heart beat was thundering in his ears but he could still hear the footsteps of another.

"Edd!" Kevin was right on his trail only a small distance away from the dork.

Edd looked over his shoulder and took off once more into the shadows. He didn't want Kevin to catch up to him or to even be around him. Alone is all he wanted. He slowed down and ducked into an alley quietly trying to catch his breath. Kevin slowed down trying to figure out where Edd had gone. There was no way that he could have out ran and out smarted the jock. Years of playing sports taught him to never under estimate the opponent.

Edd slowly backed up away from the opening of the alley until he bumped into something. He turned around to see what it was and let out a small cry before a thick hand covered his mouth and put a knife to his throat.

"One wrong move and you will die." The voice hissed in his ear.

Kevin looked around frantically knowing he had heard a cry somewhere. He had to find Edd fast before anything happened to him. There wasn't anyway another person was going to die around Peach Creak, and it sure as hell wouldn't be the dork.

The mystery man started to back Edd up further into the alley away from the light. His foot hit an empty can that clanged against the wall loudly. Kevin turned around and went into the alley way.

"Edd?" Kevin called squinting to see in the darkness.

Snow began to fall from the sky which made the dork curiously look up at it. The man pressed the blade harder against his skin making Edd regret being curious. Curiosity was a stupid emotion to have. Why did he have to cursed with it? It was ten times worse at night than in day time.

"Go away!" The man yelled loudly as he took another step back nearly dragging Edd.

"Give my friend back!" Kevin took another step towards the two.

The man continued to walk backwards dragging Edd and pressing the blade in harder making his victim cry. Kevin followed them all the way until they came out on the other side by a street lamp. The man and Edd were in perfect sight showing what kind of predicament they had gotten into. There was a small amount of blood running down Edd's neck from where the knife was placed.

He looked at Kevin the best he could with such fear and sadness in his eyes. He didn't want to die like this. No one but him should take his life. He squeezed his eyes shut to block out what was happening and tears streamed down his face.

"Stop right there! I will kill this kid if you make another step closer!"

"Why do you want him? He doesn't have any money he was just out for a run."

"There's a lot you could do with a boy like this. Right now you have two options. Let me take the kid and he lives or try to take him away from me and he dies."

Kevin stopped and stared at the man. "You wouldn't really kill and innocent kid would you?"

"Try me." The man smiled and dragged the blade a little across Edd's neck.

Edd's eyes shot open and his scream was muffled by his attacker's hand. Kevin looked at him desperately trying to figure out what the right course of action was. He couldn't let the man take Edd there was a good chance he'd never be found again but at the same time he couldn't just let the man kill him in front of him. Either way it was a risk Kevin was forced to take.

His eyes met Edd's ones that were screaming in pain. Kevin took a large step towards the man trying to call out his bluff. The man dragged the blade even more across Edd's neck making the wound deeper.

"Edd!" Kevin howled and sprinted towards the two without thinking.

The man tsked and dragged the rest of the knife across Edd's neck and threw his body towards Kevin. Kevin caught Edd and watched as the man ran off into the shadows. His attention turned to Edd who was squirming in his arms. Blood was gushing out of his neck.

"Oh Edd I'm so sorry, please don't die." Kevin put his hand to the open wound and applied as much pressure as he could.

"He...didn't...cut...my artery..." Edd gurgled turning paler by the second.

"What...what do I do Edd? I can't lose you I just finally realized I love you!" Kevin put his head against Edd's

"Call...nine...one...one...you idiot..." Edd smiled faintly his eyes starting to shut.

"Don't fucking close your eyes you dork!" Kevin laid Edd down gently in a thin layer of snow to grab his phone while keeping pressure on his neck.

"Yes, we need an ambulance outside of Jerry's Hardware on uhm 7th street. My friend as been attacked and is bleeding out of his neck...I have pressure applied. Just fucking hurry I can't lose him!" Kevin shouted into the phone before closing it.

Edd's eyes were shut and the blood had slowed down. Kevin shook Edd gently with no response. He was hardly breathing when the wails of the sirens could be heard. Kevin looked up and then back down to Edd.

"Wake up Edd please!" He cried through his sobs, "Please don't go I love you. I thought I could lie and it would go away but I can't...I love you."

The ambulance pulled up close to the two and people shot out of the back. The rest of everything was a blur to Kevin. Voices were distorted and vision was a blur. Before he could even realize everything that was happening everyone was gone and he was left alone in the snow. He looked down at where Edd used to be. The fallen snow was dyed red with his blood.

Kevin placed his bloodied hand down in the snow and then removed it leaving a complete red hand print. He grabbed his phone and slowly dialed his parents.

When the answered he whispered, "Can you guys take me to the hospital? My friend was just attacked and I held him until the paramedics rushed him to the hospital. I need to go see if he's okay..."

Kevin stared at the snow and dipped his finger in the bloody snow then drew a heart in the freshly fallen snow. It was going to be a long night.


	8. Spike In The Heart Rate

Spike In The Heart Rate

_25 days to decide..._

The monitors beeped softly every second. It took a few hours to finally stop the bleeding and repairing the damage done to Edd's neck. Kevin was picked up by his mom and drove to the hospital. He answered all of the police's questions and asked some of his own. The man who attacked Edd was one of the top ten wanted people in Peach Creek. He always managed to elude the authority and it was assumed that he too was responsible for the other kid's death the few years back.

The doctor came out after a few hours looking for Kevin who was pacing in the waiting room. His face was tear stained and tired looking.

"Are you Kevin?" She asked pulling down her mask.

"Is Edd going to be alright? He's not ...dead... is he?" Kevin wrung his hands together nervously.

"No but if you waited a minute longer he would be. He lost a lot of blood and he wont be going home anytime soon. I would like to ask you a few questions about Edd if you wouldn't mind answering them?"

"No of course what would you like to know?"

"Please come with me, I'd like to ask you in private in his room."

Kevin looked at her slightly confused but followed her to Edd's private room. Edd was hooked up to a lot of different monitors that constantly beeped or buzzed. He looked peaceful sleeping in the bed like he had never slept a day in his life. The doctor looked at his monitors and checked the chart at the foot of the bed.

"Kevin," She began placing the chart back in its place, "How long have you known Edd?"

Kevin kicked his feet trying to think of an exact year number. "Uhm since I was little. He moved in one year from somewhere else."

She nodded and pulled out a note pad from her lab coat pocket. She scrawled down what he had said and proceeded to ask another question. "Has Edd been acting out of the ordinary in say the last few months?"

"Yeah a little but nothing to extreme, why?" Kevin folded his arms across his chest.

"We have reason to believe that he is extremely depressed and engages in self destructive behaviour." The doctor put the note pad in her pocket again.

Kevin shook his head and squinted, "Edd's not that kind of guy he wouldn't do that. Sure he has been a little off lately but he would never hurt himself. He hates any kind of impurity on his skin."

The doctor nodded and walked over to a side of the bed motioning Kevin to come over. "What I am about to show you is extremely confidential. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't show you this but the fact that he was attacked and can't answer why he was outside so late. His father hasn't answered any of our calls. When he wakes up depending on how he answers we may be submitting him to the mental ward in this hospital."

Kevin felt his body go cold as he nodded slowly. The doctor slowly unrolled one of the bandages on his arm taking great care as to not wake Edd. Once the bandage was removed she nodded at Kevin. He leaned over to get a good look at what the doctor wanted to show him. He wasn't sure what to expect since the doctor acted like he was fragile. The sight that he saw made him almost pass out. Edd's arms were covered in large deep cuts some that were old and others that were fresh.

"I never knew that he did this. He never seemed like the type to do anything like that." Kevin backed away.

She rebandaged his arm and turned to Kevin. "That's not the only thing. His body is eating itself, there is no sign of him having any sort of food in his stomach or even his system for at least two days."

"What do I do, how can I help him? He's...really important to me." Kevin pulled the chair from the corner next to Edd's bed.

"Well right now nothing but try to be there for him. I have to go see if I can reach his father. Will you be alright if I left you alone with him?" She asked putting a hand on Kevin's shoulder.

Kevin nodded and the doctor left the room leaving them alone. He put his head in his hands and sighed quietly trying to understand everything that was just shown to him. It's not everyday that something like this happened to him let alone anyone else. What would Edd say when he woke up? Kevin had admitted that he loved him as he laid bleeding in his arms. That wasn't exactly how he wished the dork to find out. But everything else was a more pressing matter especially if the dork had been this bad for months without anyone knowing.

Edd shifted around in his bed waking up mumbling something. Kevin sat up in his chair watching as the dork slowly opened his eyes squinting trying to figure out where he was. The typical look of confusion was written all over his face as he turned his head to see Kevin.

"Where...am I?" Edd rasped out sitting up.

"Whoa take it easy there tiger. You're in the hospital you lost a lot of blood." Kevin put his hand on Edd's.

Edd retracted his hand and gave the room one more good look over. He didn't trust the doctors and what they could have found out about him. He had to get out of the hospital and to Ed's house. He didn't want to be locked away in this place for he knew he'd never get back out.

"Why?" Edd looked at him sadly.

"Why what?"

"Why did you save me?"

Kevin stared at the dork in shock. "You are joking right?"

Edd shook his head and bit his lip in thought. "What did the doctors tell you about me?"

Kevin got up out of the chair and paced around the room putting his hands through his hair. What would he tell him? It's not like he could be blunt about the topic that was at hand. 'Oh hey I know that you have issues and I think it's smart to be in the mental ward here.' that wasn't really how anyone should broach the subject.

"I know Edd. I know what you've done and what you are doing. The uh doctors said that they are going to keep you here to get better." Kevin sat back in his chair folding his hands together in his lap.

Edd's eyes went wide he couldn't handle this. He would rather be locked in his room than in the hospital. A strategy is what he needed if he was going to break out of the place. "Have they reached my father?"

Kevin nodded in response when Edd let out a loud sigh. It was unlike him to be so impatient or testy. It puzzled him a lot that he was asked why he saved him. Edd didn't want to die did he? That was a stupid thought to think. He'd never let the dork die on his watch.

The doctor walked into the room with a nurse who was carrying different medications. They worked around Edd asking questions and checking his vitals. They were like bees poking and prodding like it was just another thing they handled every day. Edd shook his head at some questions the doctor asked and laid back in his bed trying to block them out. The two left once they realized they were getting no where with their patient. Kevin's mom came in and told him they had to go. He nodded and went back to Edd and whispered in his ear.

"I still love you no matter what you have done in your past."

Edd stared at him his eyes wider than he thought possible. The red head left with his mom leaving Edd all alone in his room. There was so much that just happened to him. His heart began to beat faster and faster, his lungs burned for air, the machines began freaking out as his heart rate spiked above the normal range. A nurse ran into his room and began doing everything she could for him. He watched the monitor reach up past 145 until the nurse gave him some medicine through his IV. He had to get out of the hospital before something else happened.


	9. UPDATE

Gods, I'm really sorry that it's taking me so long to get the next chapter up. I swear I'm working on it!

I'm just struggling with it and I'm trying to make everything flow properly.

And I think I've fallen into a rut in creativity. Nothing I want to do happens especially since I've picked up new hobbies. My hands have also been a killer in wanting to use them as much as I have been.

I swear I'll get the next chapter up soon

Just forgive me for now


	10. Plan In A Bed

Plan In A Bed

_24 days to decide..._

Police had surrounded Edd's home taping it off from the other houses. Road blocks were put out drawing attention from everyone. The cops came to Kevin's house for a few more questions. After he left the hospital he spent the rest of the time in his room looking out the window watching everything that was going on. His mind kept replaying the scene from last night and all the emotions that went through him. If he didn't follow Edd there was a good chance that he would have been fine. But what if he didn't follow and Edd was found dead in the alley like the kid before him. Kevin honestly didn't know what would have been better. There were so many different possibilities that could have happened but in the blink of the eye he had to follow his own instinct.

Hearing Edd cry out and injured drove Kevin into madness for the guy who attacked them. He wanted that guy locked away for the rest of his life. He was a criminal who deserved way worse then a few years in jail. Edd was an innocent kid who didn't deserve any of the horrible things that happened to him. The cops announced a strict curfew to help prevent any other incidents like Edd's.

Eddy and Ed swung by Kevin's house once they found out that Edd was in the hospital. They asked nearly the same identical questions as the police which was scary to think of. Ed cried out and squeezed Kevin tightly telling him how grateful he was for him being there and protecting Edd. Eddy mumbled thanks and took Ed with him to go to the hospital to see the dork.

Kevin pushed away from his window and threw himself on the bed. Sleep was the only thing that was diserable at a time like this. He didn't know when he'd get to see Edd again. Every minute away from him made him worry about what he had said. The same words played in his head as he fell asleep.

_'Why did you save me?'_

_Kevin opened his eyes to a scene he didn't want to ever relive. He was back on the street facing the man with the blade to Edd's neck. The same events unfolded like they did before. He ran to Edd who was bleeding profusely more than he was supposed to. Kevin pushed his hand tightly to his neck sobbing. Edd looked at Kevin with a soft expression on his face, sadness was clear in his eyes._

_"What do I do?" Kevin put his forehead against Edd's feeling the warmth slowly leave his body._

_Tears streamed down Edd's face as he put a hand softly against Kevin's and smiled, "Let me die. There's nothing that you can do I'm going to bleed out here."_

_"I-i-i can't let you die. I love you." Kevin tried to understand what the dork was saying._

_"I wont make it anyway. I don't want to make it. I'm done with this life I've been fighting to long for nothing."_

_"I love you please don't go. I can't lose you."_

_"You can't save me..." Edd sighed softly and his hand dropped from his face falling limp by his side._

_"Edd? Edd please...don't go..." Kevin shook the smaller male in his arms lightly, "Wake up god dammit!"_

_Kevin sat there sobbing greatly into Edd's lifeless body. He screamed in misery into the snowy sky._

Kevin bolted up gasping for air sweat dripping down his face. There was no way he'd be going back to sleep anytime soon.

* * *

The doctors did their usual rounds prying the small male for information about himself and the attack. He was persistent in not talking to them about it or anything. Not one of the doctors could reach his father. The staff sent in to take care of Edd every once and awhile slowly got impatient with the stubborn boy. They were rougher and ruder with each time in the room. But Edd just stared angrily at the wall taking all the crap the nurses gave him.

When Ed and Eddy showed up their friend was a little silent but more willing to chat with them. He felt bad for leaving in the middle of the night and not letting them know what he was up to. It was his fault that everything happened in the way it did. He had to apologize for all the trouble he caused Ed and his family. There wasn't any way that Edd could think of that would make up for that night.

Eddy sat on the hospital bed pushing his friend to one side. There was a magazine that was keeping his attention well focused even though it was a medical one with many complicated words. Edd looked at him with a raised eyebrow knowing that not even in the next few life times would his friend ever actually take interest in things that didn't involve a cheap and sly undermining scam. Eddy was too predictable for his own good which often got him in a lot more trouble then he could have imagined.

Ed squeezed the small injured friend tightly against his chest crying about how worried he was and how mad his parents got when the cops knocked on their door. It would be awhile before any of them could come back over for another sugar night. When asked about the personal belongings that Edd had brung he was assured quite well that they were hidden somewhere that no one knew except for the two.

The smart friend twirled his thumbs trying to figure out how to ask his friends the burning question that was on his tongue. He hated asking for such things like this but he was desperate. There was a chance he may never get to do what he wanted again and it frightened him to the core. He had to do this at least once more before final decisions were made and kept like a prisoner. It was a need to do this task that made him so willing to do anything.

"Eddy..." Edd adjusted himself in the bed to be more comfortable. "I need to ask you of something. Something that isn't usually what would be characteristically normal for me. Now please try to understand that this may be the last chance that I get to do this before the people in this place decide to lock me here with out any chance of release."

"Edd-" Eddy put the magazine down his faced was unreadable.

"No look Eddy, I need this. I need to do this at least one last time. I have no clue how long they could keep me here and I'm desperate. I have to do this." Edd cut his friend off with a panicked look on his face. "You know I would never ask something so out of nowhere and in a time such as this. But I've weighed all the pros and cons of doing this and have come to the conclusion that I can do this. I need this and I just need it this once please please I-"

"SOCK HEAD will ya shut your trap for a minute?!" Eddy threw the magazine at him.

Edd raised his hands to protect his face to slow and was rewarded with a loud smack against his forehead. Eddy pushed Edd's legs part to get closer to his friend. A small blush crept on his face along with a pout. Their lump of a friend managed to somehow fit on the railing of the bed and stay there without falling off.

"Look Double D, I don't care what it is but you know I'll always help you out. Remember that time that you got into that fight with Jimmy and I broke it up and fed you and lumpy hot dogs?"

Edd nodded slowly and raised his eyebrow puzzled.

"Sock head no matter what you want to do you know we have your back. After all the years you had our backs and took some of the falls for us its the least we can do. You just have to shut up with the boring crap and tell us what we need to do."

Edd fiddled with his thumbs and twirled a lock of his hair. "You're going to hate this next part with a passion though."

Eddy rolled his eyes and Ed just stared stupidly like always.

"We're going to need the help of Kevin on this."


	11. Hospital Complications

_a/n: please forgive my lateness, i hit a block in creativity recently and have been having a hard time to move over it. i've also chewed my fingers raw in nervousness of the events going on so it's unpleasant to type. but i plan on updating more for you guys!_

* * *

**Hospital Complications**

A room couldn't be more unwelcoming than the one Edd was in. The silence was unbearable and felt like it was tearing him apart for having close friends and a crush who was on bad terms with his friends. His eyes flitted across each person looking at their faces trying to read their expressions. Kevin and Eddy's glares burned into Edd's mind ripping into his permanent memory. Ed was in his pleasant out of reality state kicking his feet hitting the bed railing softly. A soft smile was placed upon his face completely unaware of the hell fire next to him.

Edd wrung his hands together trying to figure out how to begin with the conversation without starting world war three in the confines of a hospital room. Now that he thought about it there was a good chance all things could go to hell today. Danger of losing his friends or the one he liked or even both was the first part that he'd have navigate around carefully like a mine field. Then there was the hazard of him falling from three stories up without any cushion or way to soften his fall. Even if he did ask Kevin to stand guard to catch him encase he did fall but if he did it would be in his best interest to just snap his neck and end everything. The tension to make sure this plan went through correctly was weighing on him intensely.

Kevin coughed loudly ripping Edd from his thoughts, startling him back into the bed with a wheeze. Eddy made a snide comment towards Kevin and elbowed him harshly. Before a never ending feud could break out Edd stammered out a few words to stop them.

"N-now gentlemen please. I understand that being in a boring hospital room such as this one is certain to put any one on edge for its lack of decour and nice furnishings but please do not go about fighting in here. Uhm Ed can you bring me some ice water? My throat is metaphorically killing me." The voice was raspy and cracked a few times. Ed smiled running out of the room in his unusual way shouting 'iced water' at the top of his lungs.

Kevin made a clicking noise turning his attention back towards the smaller male who quickly looked away towards the window. Edd had an eyebrow raised as he shoved Kevin's shoulder sitting back in his seat facing the bed.

"So what are me and this never going to succeed at anything in his life doing here. You're wasting precious daylight that I could be using to fix up my bike."

Eddy snarled in response, "You're lucky you're even in this room there's no way in the deepest pit of hell that you'd be around him. You have done enough to torment him and hurt him. I don't like you at all."

Kevin shoved his face roughly against Eddy's face and spat, "You're pathetic, whiny, and greedy beyond compare. There is no part of you that's selfless. You're a freak."

"Now now now gentlemen please please, please don't start an uproar in here. I think I'm actually having a panic attack it's hard to breathe." Machines started beeping as if on cue flashing different warnings and numbers.

A nurse ran in with Ed behind her with a large block of ice and a straw. She ushered the two males out of the room save Ed who just sat in the corner sucking on the ice block. She ran around checking machines giving Edd an oxygen mask to help his breathing. Out in the hall both Kevin and Eddy were arguing about who's fault it was for sending Edd into a state of panic and distress. A few nurses had to shush them for disturbing other patients who were resting.

What seemed like a half hour later the nurse came out of the room and found the boys had moved into the waiting room arguing over the remote. They could tell the smile on her face was fake with the words she spoke dripping with venom.

"Your friend Eddward will be just fine but I have to ask you both to leave for causing disturbances not only to him but to the other residents in this wing. Please leave as soon as possible without visiting your friend on the way out." She turned to leave but Eddy side stepped into her path.

"Why do I have to leave? I'm the closest thing Double D has to a family. It was this jerks attitude that caused what happened."

Kevin briskly shoved him out of the way and slightly nodded towards the nurse who's left eye twitched in annoyance. "Certainly you can tell this piece of garbage and his stupid friend to get out of the room. I had done nothing but it was his fault for causing Edd's breathing to go all wacky-"

Before he could continue Eddy slammed into him attempting to throw punches at his face without any luck of landing a single one. Kevin kneed Eddy hard in the stomach sending him curled up in pain on his side. The nurse was livid by that time and picked both boys off the ground with her strength and marched towards the elevators hissing silent cruel words to the two captives.

The elevator doors dinged as they opened revealing the person in it to be no other than Edd's father looking really pissed off. Eddy's eyes grew wide as he fought against the nurse's tight hold. Edd's father turned and looked back at Eddy with a sinister glare and a sly smile that reached into his devious black eyes. The doors shook shut as Eddy suddenly tried to get out of the nurse's extremely tight hold on him.

"You have to let me go!" Eddy shouted trying to lunge at the button panel.

"Eddy what the hell man? What's got you all twisted?" Kevin dodged on of his arms that swung back hitting the nurse in her face.

"That man is Edd's father and he's a good for nothing pathetic pile of-" Eddy was pulled back roughly by the nurse who seemed to use even more force on the two.

She blew the messed up strands of hair out of her face then howled in an icy tone that froze the two in their spots. "You two are a disgrace. Mr. Vincent is allowed to see his son after all that he went through. Edd has told me everything there is to know about his father and unlike your story Mr. Vincent is actually a gentle man who has been nothing but supportive to his only family left. His father is not a demonic person who beats his son to a pulp. You are spewing lies. Now the both of you are going to leave this hospital and if** I** _ever_ see you **two** in here I will have security _personally_ escort you out."

* * *

Kevin brushed himself as he got up from the ground he was thrown onto. With a quick look over at the slightly chubby Eddy he realized the worry and concern in his eyes were real. "Why are you so upset about Edd's dad? He's a cool guy."

Eddy gave the jock a weird look as if he was questioning his sanity. "Who told you he was 'cool'?"

That remark left Kevin blushing like he said something stupid, "Edd mentioned him a few times when people asked about him. He's a busy man who owns a lot of companies and is really rich."

Eddy rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh. "Look I don't care what you have heard but I know the truth. Sometimes...I've read Sockhead's personal...uhm dairy and found out what really goes down. And right now I do not trust that man up there with my best friend."

"Give me one example of Double dork's father being different from what I heard and I'll help you get back up to his room."

"He tried to kill Sockhead once..."

* * *

Mr. Vincent smiled at the empty hallway that used to be bustling with staff a few seconds ago. He bought them off for a few minutes while he had a few 'words' with his son. His footsteps echoed down the silent hall as he took his time walking to his son's room. The door's handle was chilling to the touch as he let the door swing open to a darkened room. Ed was fast asleep in the corner the ice block completely devoured.

In the bed there Edd laid eyes shut with his arms resting on his stomach much like a corpse. The soft wispy raven black hair was lightly braided and strewn over his right shoulder. Monitors beeped loudly at a good rate while the machine supplied air for Edd to breathe.

The shoes clicked louder on the tiled floor than they did in the hallway slowly waking Edd from his dreary sleep. Mr. Vincent took one more step coming into plain view with a sinister smile revealing his sharp perfect teeth. Monitors went haywire as the small defenseless nerd realized who was infront of him but more importantly why he was here.

"Now now...son," He sneered as if talking to him was like drinking acid. "What's the hurry. To afraid to confront me like a man? Oh that's right you're a fucking spineless piece of shit. Microorganisms have more spine than you."

Edd fell off the bed terrified ripping out all the machines he was connected to. A desperate glance at his friend broke his trust in people as a loud snore shook the room. His father was an evil man despite what he told everyone. Not a single ounce of kindness rested in that man's black soul. Edd had to find a way out of the room somewhere else to escape his father. He was weak from not eating recently but he had to get out of there before his father beat him into a pulp.

Edd's father suddenly fast walked right next to him leaning down to grab his son when Edd quickly jumped towards the bed his foot getting caught in his father's large hand. With a yank Edd was pulled back with a scream that woke up Ed finally. The lumpy friend charged and rammed the attacker against the wall freeing Edd who suddenly scrambled away crying out for his friend to follow.

Mr. Vincent snarled and slammed Ed against the bed knocking him out then quickly ran out of the room to follow the small uneven footsteps of his son. Edd looked around and tried any of the doors he could but only found them locked. Where was the security or nurses when he needed them? There was two ways down and that was through an elevator and down flights of stairs. With his father hot on his heels he'd rather run down the stairs then risk the elevator not showing up in time.

Edd barely opened the emergency stairs before he was pushed down the stairs by his father. With a loud scream he tumbled down hearing a crack in several places as he hit the wall with a lot of force. His father was the most furious he'd ever known him to get. Despite all he tried the small nerd had no more strength to fight back. Within a second he was lifted off the ground with a thick thumb pressing into the wound reopening it causing the loudest scream possible.

"You're pathetic! You should have died in that car crash instead of my wife. You should be dead."

The world was slowly turning black and the mental struggle to stay conscious during the attack was failing. A few more seconds...then he'd finally be free...

* * *

Kevin and Eddy managed to make it up an emergency stairwell on the other side of the hospital. Ed barely stumbled out of the room as Eddy suddenly bombarded him with questions.

The faculty finally showed up from a personal elevator in the middle of the room unaware of the commotion going down in the east wing stairwell. Kevin and Eddy both shared a look when the realized the one nurse was there and they both charged towards the group. After a few seconds struggling through them and wiggling free they sped off down the hall way. The door to the stairwell was ajar by a black leather shoo.

Within a breath Kevin shoved the door all the way open and lunged at the man holding a now limp Double D above the ground. They slammed against the wall then tumbled down another flight of stairs howling in rage at each other.

Eddy gathered Edd in his arms the best he could then turned on his heels climbing back up the stairs without hitting Edd on the surroundings praying that they had gotten there in time. Unaware that his friend wasn't breathing...

_a/n: ahehe sorry for the sudden update then removal but i took it down for good reasons and put something that i think is much better in its place. i would really enjoy if you could give me a review to see how you guys like it. Please look forward to the next chapter soon!_


	12. Lies Become The Truth

**Geez I am so sorry for the long delay in this chapter but I really tried rewritting this chapter at least ten times. I'm slowly losing interest in keeping the story going but I'm trying to also regain the inspiration that once tied me to it. Please forgive me for the delays it's been kinda hard lately. I'm not even sure this chapter is worth posting; OTL**

* * *

Lies Become The Truth

Edd was barely taken from Eddy's arms when police showed up asking for the two boys to accompany them to the station for questioning. They both declined leaving the hospital until the condition of Edd was known but the police wouldn't have it. A nurse made a sudden compromise that made them all happy. Once Edd's condition was known the hospital would personally call for the two boys to let them know. Hesitantly Kevin and Eddy agreed to go in a fear settling in their stomachs.

The car ride wasn't very long though it felt like an eternity for the boys. Kevin stared out the tinted window watching familiar places pass by with small pieces of memory coming to him. It was strange to be so emotional about what was going on; sure he wasn't being arrested or in the hospital dying like other people but a part of him felt like he was. Missing out on chances that he could possibly have with Edd really struck a nerve deep down in his core making him sick with sadness. Eddy on the other hand was bored out of his mind despite the fear of losing one of his best friends. This wouldn't be the first time he rode in a cop car for questioning but with hope it would be the last one he ever needed. If he truly was to believe it would be the end then Edd would finally have to come through. That should be something he told Kevin about but right now wasn't the best time. No it was the best time but there were ears in the car that didn't belong to the good side of things.

Within a matter of minutes they were parked then taken into a private room before being left alone. The one who was going to be interviewing them would be in shortly. Eddy scouted the room feeling around for any cameras or recording devices that might be stashed secretly. Kevin watched him puzzled about what he was doing. There is something definitely wrong with that kid.

After Eddy was satisfied with his search he took up the chair next to Kevin facing him. It was awkward for them both but Eddy broke the silence before long.

"Look Kevin...we've never been eye to eye before on anything. And I'm sure that we never will agree on anything but there is something you need to know."

"I don't understand." Kevin scooted a few inches away

"Edd's father is a man of many dark secrets. This isn't the first time that I've been here for basically the same thing that we are in here today."

"So you mean that sick fucker hasn't be locked away yet?!" Kevin stood up pounding his fist against the table.

Before Eddy could say anymore a lanky short browned hair cop came in apologizing for the wait. He took a seat on the opposite the two kids. He had a goofy crooked smile that was way more welcoming than the other straight faced silent cops. For the first few minutes Eddy and the cop laughed at random jokes they told. There was something wrong with this picture. Cops weren't supposed to be all chummy with the people in the building were they?

"Oh I'm sorry Kevin, is it? I am Steve, I have been in contact with Eddy here on many different uhm times. Always about uh that one nerd boy he likes." Steve held out his hand in greeting.

"I-uh- it's nice to meet you?" Kevin took Steve's hand shaking roughly while eyeing Eddy suspiciously.

Coughing Eddy slouched in his chair folding his arms over his chest. "So anyway back to the main topic. Sockhead is in another one of his situations."

Steve scratched his chin thoughtfully before he leaned in towards the two. "All I know right now is that Mr. Vincent bribed his way out of here again. Seriously like have this precinct is under his thumb. Dim witted easily bought cops though I don't doubt theme in this economy. Shoot if I didn't truly believe in making a difference in peoples lives then I too would fold. I mean I'm a few months late on my own rent and other bills-"

Eddy kicked the cop under the table as a clue to get to the point.

"Ow alright Eddy stop bein' such an ass. I am part of the government you know!" Steve cried out before turning to Kevin in a huff. "Anyway right now as it seems Mr. Vincent will only get a small slap on the hands for causing a disturbance. Without Edd to testify against him there is no way he will be held for attempted murder charges. You know Eddy you really should fill your friend in about everything, poor feller looks more stunned than a deer about to get hit by a truck."

Kevin stood up quickly hovering over Eddy in confused anger. "What the hell is going on here? Why isn't Mr. Vincent locked up yet if what you said before is true?"

The scamer looked up at the jock unammused by his outburst. His insides were still frozen dreading the call from the hospital that seemed to not come thankfully. "Look jerk face, there's a lot you don't know about Edd and his family. I bet you didn't even know his mother had died in a car crash coming to Peach Creek."

The jock sat down slowly nodding taking in the serious tone that the dork had suddenly gained. "When Edd moved here it was after a real bad accident at his uh other school. His parents decided to move over here for better care of Edd but it was raining really bad that night and Edd's dad lost control of the wheel and they drove into a ditch hitting a tree. His mom was dead before the paramedics could get there and his dad blamed Edd for everything. It was her birthday that day too. Ever since then Edd's freak of a father has taken out his anger and all his emotions on him blaming him for the reason why she had died."

"But that doesn't explain why like he's not locked away."

"Edd doesn't tell the truth. The few times Ed and I had seen his father beat the shit out of him and try to kill him we would tell the police-"

"That's me!" Steve interjected happily.

"We would be honest and explain everything but Edd would lie and say that it wasn't true. There was this one time he had a huge gash across his chest from his father and he told the cops that he broke a glass window pane. Can you believe him?"

Kevin's brows knit together trying to understand Eddy's ramblings. Right about now he'd appreciate the sophisticated chatter of the double dork. At least he would get to the point.

"So basically Edd refuses to turn his father in despite all the shit he gets from him?"

Steve and Eddy both nodded like that was exactly what was just said.

"That stupid ass. I'm going to make him confess to the police what happened today."

"How do you plan going about that idiot?" Eddy smirked standing up like he was going to go along with it.

"We'll record him talking to us about what had happened then turn it in as evidence against that sick fucker." Kevin smiled happy with his plan.

The door suddenly opened and a cop came in holding a cellular device giving it to Steve. They nodded and Steve spoke to the person on the phone listening intently to what was being said. He handed the phone back to the other cop then looked at the two in the room.

"That was the hospital. Edd's stable but they aren't sure if he'll wake up."


End file.
